is this a common thing with OVERTIME

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I am currently a patient care technician (PCT) at a smaller hospital. In our E.D. our PCTs are trained to preform everything from lab draws to EKGs to stocking, etc. We are also cross-trained as monitor techs and usually rotate between these two jobs regularly. I am a full time employee and have been for two years. I have expressed multiple times to my superior my need for a fourth shift and how my finances are pretty much dependent on it. The problem (in my opinion), is when the schedule is released with empty spots for PCTs/monitor techs to fill in, she will have already filled these spots with RNs. I AM NOT sayign nurses are not capable of performing the job, I AM saying that i don't feel that overtime for PCTs should be mixed in with overtime for nurses (obviously because PCTs cannot fill nursing spots). I have asked to fill certain spots that are covered with nurses, and the reply is that "we have enough nurses scheduled already."

so my question is------Should i be ok with this? Am i overreacting? Does this happen elsewhere? Should i re-express my concern? And how?

Im thinking about it, just trying to figure out how to tell the boss that you've been frustrated about something that's been happening for a while now, and that it needs to change or you're going to find the hours elsewhere...........any ideas?

I think you should definitely inquire but....lightly. I also think the other solution is to beat others to the punch. how are these other nurses getting on the schedule for extra shifts before you? get in there and get your name there first. good luck!

Apparently the nurses are further up the totem pole when it comes to doling out extra shifts. But it does not make sense money-wise to pay them RN wages when they could have a PCT doing the shift for less.

I don't know if this is a possibility for you, but have you tried finding another job part time to supplement your income? Obviously the new job would have to be willing to work with you on your schedule to overcome conflicts with your current job, but it's not something that can't be done... Another option is being per diem. Finally, if you wanted to tell the current job, "Stop filling the spots w/ RN's or I'm going to have to find a new job part time and you're going to have to work around my schedule more" type of conversation.

It seems silly to pay an RN to do the job of a lower compensated individual (I'm assuming so if I'm wrong I apologize) but what happened in OUR hospital is *all* LPNs were informed they have to work towards their RN by "x" date or they wouldn't have a job anymore. Also ASN-RN's were informed in order for the hospital to go to Magnet they would have to possibly get their BSN soon as well, but no finite plans were in place last I checked. It makes more sense to have more ancillary staff b/c it takes more time off RN's and LPN's, but some administrators think that eventually eliminating jobs such as LPNs, Unit clerks, etc. will save money and lives in the long run by replacing them with "higher education" individuals. ... which is not true, and is actually POOR for patient satisfaction.

Coming from a person that worked on a floor of 20 patients with 5 RN's and (at most) 2 NA's, there were MANY times where there was nobody in the station for a long time, so having a person like yourself to do be on monitor duty would be a huge help to us, but alas it's not in the cards apparently for our hospital. Hoping it's just a "your floor" thing and not a hospital wide trend.